Chapter House Status and Plans, March 2014

The Charter was suspended, not revoked. WSU will allow return in 2015+, if probation goes OK. The house is empty, undergoing repair. There was damage and & items taken when students moved out. We'll try to recoup via damage deposits, but so far repair costs are high (door, jamb & wall damage).

What are short term plans?

We're looking to rent to another Fraternity for the next 1-3 yrs. This will provides financial security while suspended. Long term plans are to regroup and request WSU to allow chapter to return to campus, plus focus on quality recruiting.
What led to WSU pulling recognition?
House was on mulitple probations (hazing, scholastic, social & programming) and under investigation for a drinking incident when an Idaho sheriff's report hit WSU about a house camping trip. WSU found a need for culture change, instances of avoiding accountability, instances of ignoring or covering up situations and pulled university recognition til summer 2015. ACB found house officer performance benchmarks not completed, officer duties not being completed and financial obligations of members not being met nor enforced.

Why did this happen?

Leadership

Leadership Issues included that many leaders would not lead, even when asked; A few members stood up but were ignored or put down.

Financial Responsibility

Financial Issues included members allowed to move in despite outstanding debts, little or no room check-in or check-out, rooms & doors damaged. About half of membership were financially responsible.

Character

Character Issues included threats and actions against Live-in Advisor, Thefts & not paying financial obligations, plus not standing up for what is right and being a leader. There may have been too much “group think” and “entitlement” plus we speculate that most didn’t understand what a Fraternity “is”.

What Happens Next?

WSU says Frats must be “dry” to house freshmen. We should recruit leaders from high schools as well as WSU when we begin anew. We will also need alumni to help with recruiting leaders. We need to take a hard look at financial incentives, whether or not the building can be retrofitted with a cooling system, if we should look at possible moves to other areas on campus and how to take pride in living in a drug free & alcohol free chapter house.

During all this the ACB maintains ownership of the land & the building, but we are in need of volunteers to serve on the board.